


Let's Get a Puppy

by AU Mer-Maid (neonstardust)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dogs, Dogs So Many Dogs, Don't Let The Tags Fool You This Is Safe For Work, Established Relationship, Kinktober 2019, OC: Original Cat, Pet Adoption, Pet Names, Pet Play, Pet Store, Pet Store Date, Post-Canon, Post-Canon - Aged Up Characters, Wholesome Safe For Work Content In My Kinktober? Heck Yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 20:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20972549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonstardust/pseuds/AU%20Mer-Maid
Summary: Yahaba gets down on one knee, and then two, grasping Shirabu's hand tightly. "Kenjirou."Shirabu nods, afraid to speak."Will you adopt a dog with me?"Taking a deep breath, Shirabu says, "You have ten seconds to run for your life."





	Let's Get a Puppy

**Author's Note:**

> Kinktober Day 9 - Prompt: Pet Play

Trains are superior to cars in many ways, but Shirabu thinks their most advantageous feature is that he doesn’t have to park them. Circling the lot once again, he sees what appears to be an empty spot, only to find a tiny electric car already parked there. Curling his fingers into his palms, he resists the urge to punch the steering wheel.

He will never understand why they build the parking lots so small. He’s tempted to just leave, but Yahaba is already waiting for him inside, getting into goodness knows what trouble. Sunlight sparkles off of all the cars that stand in his way.

A spot opens up, and Shirabu takes it immediately. In a show of remarkable self-restraint, he only slams the door a little bit as he gets out and begins the long walk to the building.

Inside, the stench of wet dog assaults his nose. A stray tennis ball bounces pathetically across the floor. As he walks past a cat carrier, something hisses at him, but through the opening, he sees scales instead of fur. A forked tongue grazes his leg. Walking faster, he follows the signs to the kennels.

A massive dog sits inside of the playpen on a pair of human legs.

Shirabu leans against the gate. “He’s too big.”

Yahaba peers around the dog’s broad shoulder, but even then, only the top of his face is visible. “There’s more of him to love,” he protests. He tries to hug the dog, but his arms aren’t long enough to wrap around him.

“He won’t fit in our apartment.” Shirabu pinches the bridge of his nose. “He won’t fit in the car.”

“He will require a lot of space,” a volunteer adds, and Yahaba pouts.

Shirabu bites down on a sigh. This will be a long day.

The next dog is smaller, but twice as fluffy. Her fur drags across the ground. She hops around the pen like a child who has overdosed on Halloween candy. Her tail thumps against Shirabu’s leg, leaving behind clumps of thick, white fur on his jeans. Shirabu raises an eyebrow. Yahaba pretends not to notice.

With the help a volunteer, they take the shedding dog back to her kennel, reemerging with not one, but two puppies.

“No.”

Yahaba pouts, holding up both puppies.

Shirabu bites his lip. The darker puppy whimpers, nearly cracking his resolve, but Shirabu stands firm. “No.”

“Please?”

“We don’t have room for two dogs.” Shirabu tries to look away, but Yahaba comes closer and closer, until the lighter puppy licks his cheek.

“How can you pick between them?” Yahaba asks. He continues to pout, eyes large and innocent, and Shirabu wonders how he ended up with three puppies instead of two.

Ten minutes tick into thirty. Sitting on the floor, Shirabu absently strokes the Rhodesian Ridgeback curled up in his lap and Googles where Rhodesia is located. Before him, Yahaba lays on the ground beneath an English sheepdog. Fur hides all of him except for one ratty tennis shoe. “Have you decided?”

“Not yet.”

With the help of two volunteers, they take the sheepdog back to his kennel.

“Shigeru?” Shirabu scratches behind the ear of a golden retriever. His tail thumps gently against the ground, mouth spreading into a wide grin.

“Yes, my love?” Yahaba asks with the voice he uses when there’s something he wants to avoid. A Pomeranian tries to rip a chew toy out of his hands.

Reluctantly, Shirabu lets the volunteer return the retriever to his kennel. “You have played with every dog here.”

“Have not.” Dropping the toy, he curls the puppy protectively to his chest. Shirabu arcs a disbelieving eyebrow. “Okay, okay.” He crawls forward to face Shirabu. “Which dog did you like best?”

“Any.” He checks his watch. It’s been nearly any hour. One of his legs fell asleep. His back hurts. Knowing Yahaba, they’ll be here another five days before he makes up his mind.

“C’mon.” Yahaba holds up the Pomeranian. “Isn’t she cute?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

“Wait!” Yahaba grabs his hand before he can stand up. “But what if”—he covers her ears—“there is someone cuter?”

Shirabu looks from him to her. “If you’re not careful,” he warns, “I’ll leave you here and just take her home.” Ignoring Yahaba’s affronted gasp, he stands and brushes the fur off his jeans. “I’m going to the bathroom. Don’t adopt the entire shelter while I’m gone.”

“I won’t let you down,” Yahaba calls after him.

Shirabu can think of many times Yahaba has let him down. In the time it takes him to find the bathroom, he has already named thirty times he’s been let down, from the breakfast disaster where he set the pancakes on fire to their first date where he accidentally locked Shirabu in the car. The number of lamps he’s broken should count for a dozen times alone.

“This is going to work out,” Shirabu mumbles as he washes his hands. Soap bubbles up like his worries, but when he rinses off, his anxiety remains. “We can do this.”

Stepping out of the bathroom, he finds Yahaba already waiting for him at the front desk. Shirabu rubs his eyes. Concerned, he looks around for the real Yahaba, because surely his couldn’t make a decision that quickly.

“What are you doing?” Shirabu asks.

Yahaba glances at him. “Hey, babe. You’re just in time.” He signs a colorful form. “I just finished. They’re bringing her out now.”

Her? Shirabu mentally runs through the list of dogs they visited. The Shiba Inu and the Doberman were two of Yahaba’s favorites, and Shirabu silently prays that he had the common sense not to adopt a dog bigger than their bedroom.

“Oh, here she comes.” Moving behind him, Yahaba covers Shirabu’s eyes with his hands. “You’re going to love her.”

Shirabu leans back into his chest. “You did something stupid, didn’t you?” he asks.

Yahaba nudges him. “Be nice. Okay, are you ready?”

“No.”

Yahaba uncovers his eyes. Shirabu blinks at the carrier sitting on the counter. Inside, a small bundle of fur squirms. She’s small. Her ears flick at every sound. Yahaba holds his hand to the front of the carrier, and she comes closer, sniffing along his finger.

“Shigeru?”

“Yes, my love?” Yahaba asks. His smile wobbles, and his voice pitches like there’s something he wants to avoid. “You like her, right?”

“Shigeru, that is a cat.”

“Yes.”

Shirabu looks from him to the cat. He feels like he’s missing something, but the pieces to the puzzle are all right in front of him, plain and clear. They have a cat now. They came to a shelter for a dog and are leaving with a cat. It’s simple. It makes his head spin.

“Darling?” Yahaba shifts nervously. “You like her, right?” he asks again.

Shirabu nods. “She’s great. Lovely.” He gestures vaguely. “She’s got beautiful fur that you’re going to sneeze all over, you allergic idiot.”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Yahaba begins.

“Curse words.”

“Yes.” Yahaba nods. “But I think this is a good idea.”

Shirabu crosses his arms over his chest and waits for the situation to suddenly start making sense. He has no such luck. In her crate, the cat lets out a pitiful mew, and Shirabu caves, reaching his finger through the bars to pet her head.

A smile spreads across Yahaba’s face. “She's an angel.” He wraps his arms around Shirabu’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. “A real lap cat. Good with kids. Good with idiots.”

“But why?”

“Because.” Yahaba kisses his cheek. “You love cats, and I love seeing you happy. I know I won’t be able to help out with petting her or cleaning the litter box all that much, but I can feed her and take her for her shots. If we brush her often, the dander won’t even be that bad.”

“You idiot.”

“It’s okay.” Yahaba holds him tighter. “She’s idiot tested, idiot approved.” Leaning his head against Shirabu’s, he says, “She’ll fit in our apartment. We don’t have to walk her. We will need to work out a cuddling schedule, though, because she can’t have all your love; I need some, too.”

“You idiot,” Shirabu says again, but this time he relaxes into Yahaba’s grip.

“So?” Yahaba asks, hope clear in his voice. “Can we keep her?”

“Yeah.” Shirabu squeezes his hand. “Anything for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> "So... Can we get a dog, too?"
> 
> "Don't push your luck."


End file.
